This application is being filed with a software code appendix, which contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the software code or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present invention relates to computerized comparison of music based upon music content and listener perception of music attributes.
The Internet connects thousands of computers world wide through well-known protocols, for example, Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)/Internet Protocol (IP), into a vast network. Information on the Internet is stored world wide as computer files, mostly written in the Hypertext Mark Up Language (xe2x80x9cHTMLxe2x80x9d). The collection of all such publicly available computer files is known as the World Wide Web (WWW).
The WWW is a multimedia-enabled hypertext system used for navigating the Internet and is made up of hundreds of thousands of web pages with images and text and video files, which can be displayed on a computer monitor. Each web page can have connections to other pages, which may be located on any computer connected to the Internet.
A typical Internet user uses a client program called a xe2x80x9cWeb Browserxe2x80x9d to connect to the Internet. A user can connect to the Internet via a proprietary network, such as America Online or CompuServe, or via an Internet Service Provider, e.g., Earthlink.
A Web Browser may run on any computer connected to the Internet. Currently, various browsers are available of which two prominent browsers are Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer. The Web Browser receives and sends requests to a web server and acquires information from the WWW. A web server is a program that, upon receipt of a request, sends the requested data to the requesting user.
A standard naming convention known as Uniform Resource Locator (xe2x80x9cURLxe2x80x9d) has been adopted to represent hypermedia links and links to network services. Most files or services can be represented with a URL. URLs enable Web Browsers to go directly to any file held on any WWW server.
Information from the WWW is accessed using well-known protocols, including the Hypertext Transport Protocol (xe2x80x9cHTTPxe2x80x9d), the Wide Area Information Service (xe2x80x9cWAISxe2x80x9d) and the File Transport Protocol (xe2x80x9cFTPxe2x80x9d), over TCP/IP protocol. The transfer format for standard WWW pages is Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).
The advent and progress of the Internet has changed the way consumers buy music CDs. Consumers download digital music using MP3 or SDMI technology, with a click of a mouse, via the Internet. Audio delivery techniques have also made it easy to stream audio from a website to a consumer when a consumer demands.
Although audio delivery methods have become efficient, computerized searching techniques for music are still archaic. Professional and amateur artists have produced millions of music titles, however music searching techniques are comparable to antiquated text based searching techniques.
Music today can only be classified and searched under the name of the artist, album title, and music genre i.e., whether the music falls under the following categories: Alternative, Blues, Country, Folk, Gospel, Jazz, Latin, New Age, RandB, Soul, Rap, Reggae, Rock, etc. If a consumer wants to search for music that has a lead female vocalist, with a prominent instrument, e.g., the saxophone, and the music is a cross-over between Pop and Country genres, the current searching techniques will fail to support such a request. Current search techniques cannot compare plural aspects of different genres and provide intelligent interactive search techniques to music listeners.
Text-based search engines have worked well with databases because text can describe variables. However, text alone cannot help in searching music since music is difficult to define by text alone.
Besides music other aspects of our lives for example, cuisine, wine, paintings, movies, videos, and images etc., (collectively referred as xe2x80x9caesthetic commoditiesxe2x80x9d) are also not easily searched by text based engines.
Hence what is needed is a system that can define various aspects of music and/or other aesthetic commodities and store attributes describing music and/or aesthetic commodities into a universal, coherent and perceptually relevant database that will allow content based searching.
The present invention solves the foregoing drawbacks by providing a method and system for creating a database that allows content based searching in the music domain. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the process provides music samples to music listeners, wherein the music listeners include a plurality of average music listeners and a plurality of expert music listeners. Music samples may be provided via the Internet, a private computer network or music CDs.
The process further provides a plurality of questions to the average music listeners and the expert music listeners, wherein the plurality of questions require listener response and every listener response has a corresponding value that determines the value of a feature vector, wherein the feature vectors define music attributes.
The process then compares a plurality of music samples, wherein comparing feature vectors compares the music samples. Thereafter, the process stores the compared data. Examples of some feature vectors defined by the process are as follows:
An emotional quality vector, wherein the emotional quality vector is based upon a music listener""s response to questions regarding a music sample indicating if the music sample is Intense, Happy, Sad, Mellow, Romantic, Heartbreaking, Aggressive, or Upbeat, etc.;
A vocal quality vector, wherein the vocal vector is based upon a music listener""s response to questions regarding a music sample indicating that the music sample includes a Sexy voice, a Smooth voice, a Powerful voice, a Great voice, or a Soulful voice, etc.;
A sound quality vector, wherein the sound quality vector is based upon a music listener""s response to questions regarding a music sample indicating if the music sample has a Strong beat, is simple, has a good groove, is speech like, or emphasizes a melody, etc.;
A situational quality vector, wherein the situational quality vector is based on a music listener""s response to questions regarding a music sample indicating if the music sample is good for a workout, a shopping mall, a dinner party, a dance party, slow dancing, or studying;
A genre vector, wherein the genre vector depends upon an expert listener""s response to the questions regarding a music sample indicating if the music sample belongs to a plurality of genres including, Alternative, Blues, Country, Electronic/Dance, Folk, Gospel, Jazz, Latin, New Age, RandB, Soul, Rap, Hip-Hop, Reggae, Rock or others;
An ensemble vector, wherein the ensemble vector depends upon an experts listener""s response to questions regarding a music sample indicating whether the music sample includes a female solo, male solo, female duet, male duet, mixed duet, female group, male group or instrumental; and
An instrument vector, wherein the instrument vector depends upon an expert listener""s response to questions regarding a music sample indicating whether the music sample includes an acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass, drums, harmonica, organ, piano, synthesizer, horn, or saxophone.
One of the advantages of the present system is that feature vectors can describe music content. This assists in creating a music space for various attributes of music.
Another advantage of the present invention is that since the feature vectors define music attributes, music can be searched based upon music content.
This brief summary has been provided so that the nature of the invention may be understood quickly. A more complete understanding of the invention can be obtained by reference to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof in connection with the attached drawings.